


Battle of the Sidewalks

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Banter, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Kurodai Week 2018 Day 6: Singers AU, M/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Rivalry, banter in the form of song, street performer au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 06:32:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14611671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Up ahead was his sweet spot, a section of sidewalk just across the street from a popular coffee shop and in front of a bustling office building at the start of the shopping district. He lifted his case up to snap it open when he heard music already playing. His head twisted around until he spotted a man standing in front of the coffee shop, strumming away on an acoustic guitar.*Kurodai Week 2018 Day 6: Singers AU





	Battle of the Sidewalks

Kuroo Tetsurou walked down the sidewalk into town with a little bounce to his step. It was a beautiful morning, and it was just early enough that he could catch the crowds rushing to work to slave away at their mundane jobs. His parents were trying to be supportive of his choice of career to be a musician but didn’t approve of his way of going about it. That was alright with him, they come from another time. Kuroo was able to pull in plenty of money to put in his portion of the rent and still have enough for food and equipment, and he was developing enough of a following that he had an actual fanbase. They typically showed up after school let out and never failed to take pictures and video to post across social media, and he was thankful for the free exposure they gave him.

Up ahead was his sweet spot, a section of sidewalk just across the street from a popular coffee shop and in front of a bustling office building at the start of the shopping district. He lifted his case up to snap it open when he heard music already playing. His head twisted around until he spotted a man standing in front of the coffee shop, strumming away on an acoustic guitar.

Kuroo stared dumbfounded, unsure of what the protocol was for such a situation. The man was handsome, his sweater hugging his muscular frame but not as well as those sinful jeans. He was lost in his playing, hardly noticing the people passing by as they sprinkled change into his open case. Kuroo had to admit he was very good, but that was hardly the point. This was his section, and this man was intruding.

He hopped across the street and approached him, giving a little cough to grab his attention. The man opened his eyes to reveal orbs of melted chocolate and an amused grin that drew Kuroo in like a magnet.

“Can I help you?” The handsome intruder asked as he continued playing, his eyes scouring over Kuroo and the guitar case in his hand.

“Yes, this is my area. Can you move?”

The man’s eyebrows raised a hair and looked around at the sidewalk and wall behind him.

“I don’t see your name anywhere.”

Oh, this guy was going be trouble, he could just tell.

“Well, actually my spot is across the street, but if you remain here our sound is going to mix badly, and it’ll turn people off.”

“That would be a problem. Why don’t you move down further?”

“Why don’t _you_ move down further?”

“I was here first.”

“Today, maybe, but I’ve been playing here for a year so that shouldn’t matter.”

“Early bird gets the worm, I guess. Thank you, Ma’am,” the bastard said as he gave a woman a million dollar smile as she sprinkled a few bills in his case.

“Fine, we’ll see how well you do after I start playing in my spot,” Kuroo grumbled as he gripped his case close to his chest and huffed across the street. The man chuckled softly and kept an eye on Kuroo as he set up his guitar case and slipped out an electric guitar, the bright red and black design gleaming in the morning light. He adjusted the mini amp clipped on his belt and switched it on.

Kuroo listened for a moment to pick up on the key the other man was playing and chose a song he could fit with it, so they didn’t sound too awful playing in the same area. His beautiful morning had crumbled into a gloomy day, and he channeled his grumpiness into the moodiest songs he knew. Eventually he was able to tune out the other man and progressively his mood improved, but nothing could save it at the end of the shift when he glanced in his case and saw about half the money he usually pulled in.

Kuroo glanced up and saw Handsome packing up as well, since there was no point in playing when there weren’t any crowds. The man caught his eye and gave him a quick smile and a friendly wave before walking off. He had a bad feeling about that guy.

 

The next day he was there again. This time Kuroo didn’t bother with him at all, moving right into his spot across the street. He took his time getting set-up as he waited for the other man to take a break. As soon as he finished his song to encouraging applause, Kuroo stormed into one of his own, playing with gusto.

The song was always a crowd favorite, and sure enough people began drifting around him to listen and clap along. He grinned as the good energy wafted over him, fueling his pride and determination to win. When he finished the crowd clapped, and he thanked them with his spirit sky high. He was ready to barrel into the next one when across the street a delectable series of notes began ripping through the air. It was the type of finger plucking only attempted by the very gifted or the very brave, and from Kuroo’s personal opinion it seemed to be both.

The crowd turned and murmured in awe as Handsome eased his strumming into his own cover of a popular song and drew people toward him as if he was the center of the Earth.

“Oh, I love this song!” One girl gasped and grabbed her friend as they scurried across the street.

Kuroo couldn’t help but listening as well, nearly hypnotized himself with the haunting tune and the voice singing along with it. Kuroo had a decent voice, but it was his playing that was his main feature, and he didn’t know anyone who could sing like _that_. It was deep and full of raw emotion with just the right amount of grit to it. It was damn sexy.

_Well, at least he doesn’t have my hair._

Off to the side he heard a camera click and he turned to see one of his faithful fans lowering her phone.

“Oh, Kuroo-san, you look so cute when you pout! I’m putting this on Instagram,” She giggled as Kuroo dropped his head in defeat.

Later that evening he was lounging in a booth of the family restaurant below his apartment with three best friends. Beside him was his roommate and childhood friend, Kenma, who didn’t often comment on his musical career since his brain was wrapped up in video games. He had instantly picked up on the tension forming between Kuroo and his new adversary, however, and immediately announced the fun to Yaku and Kai.

“You look like a kicked puppy,” Yaku cackled, reaching across the table to snatch the phone from Kenma to get a closer look.

“Your hair is on point though.”

“Thank you, Kai.”

Kenma snorted. “He means it’s worse than usual.”

“Ugh, I don’t know what to do! It’s not like it’s private property, so technically he has every right to play there.”

“Yup, you’re screwed. Why don’t you just move to a different area?” Yaku suggested as he handed Kenma his phone.

“It took me years to find that perfect spot!”

“He means two weeks.”

“I slaved away creating a following on the internet to draw more people to me.”

“I’m pretty sure Sookie-chan has no life, and she did most of that for you.”

“Who’s Sookie?” Kai asked, leaning forward at the mention of an elusive female.

“She’s Kuroo’s number one fan but glancing through her social media Sawamura has been appearing almost as often as you.”

“Sawamura?”

Kenma smirked and handed him the phone. “Your arch enemy: Sawamura Daichi. It’s only been a couple of days, but people are already picking up on the drama between you two. Calling it Good Boy vs Bad Boy.”

“I’m the bad boy, right? Whew!” Kuroo sighed as he flipped through the series of pictures. Sookie definitely had the makings of a top gossip columnist with her catchy headlines and impressive pictures of the two of them. He straightened up in his seat when he saw that she linked to Sawamura’s own account, and he didn’t hesitate to click through and investigate his competition.

Either Sawamura had a bored best friend who was a world-famous photographer, or he was doing better financially than Kuroo… much better. Only a few pictures were his own selfies, all the others being expertly captured using the soulful mood of his music to influence the lighting and composition of every photograph. A couple even showed him performing in cafes; if he had so many gigs why was he playing on the street and bothering him?

Kuroo nearly drooled at one close-up of his hands as his calloused fingers strummed lazily; he had never been so jealous of a set of strings. He flinched at the thought and continued scrolling, feverishly searching for anything to complain about but kept getting lost in Sawamura’s dreamy eyes. He was finally interrupted with a nudge from Kenma.

“Can I have my phone back? You’ve had it for half an hour and I’m going through withdrawals.”

“It has not been that long.”

“Actually, it has. Your food’s probably cold,” Yaku said, gesturing to his half-eaten plate. Kuroo grunted and handed back the phone. He flagged down the waitress and asked for another beer as his friends rolled their eyes. He needed whatever he could to survive the evening of social torture.

 

He wasn’t sure how he was going to get through the day when the tiniest noise was like someone had shoved a pair of cymbals in his brain and went to town on them. He leaned against the wall with his guitar hanging limply in front of him, wondering if he could afford to take the day off. The morning sun was blinding, and Kuroo shut his eyes as he played the softest music he could.

“Kuroo-kun?” A sweet voice drew his attention when he finished his first song. He cracked an eye open to see one of the girls from the coffee shop smiling at him.

“Michimiya-chan! What can I do for you on this _lovely_ morning.” He coughed, and Michimiya covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Instead she handed him a tall coffee cup.

“What’s this?”

“It’s from Sawamura-kun,” She replied as she gestured to his rival across the street. “He had me make your favorite with an extra shot of caffeine. He even wrote a message on it for you. Feel better!”

Kuroo blinked as she skipped across the street, offering a friendly wave to Sawamura before slipping back into the shop. He glanced down at the coffee cup and read the message.

 _You look like death. Don’t throw in the towel yet, or I win!_  

There was also a quick sketch of a skull and crossbones underneath. Kuroo snorted and looked up to see Sawamura smirking at him as he sang. Kuroo mouthed the word _thanks_ and took a deep gulp of the drink made to perfection.  

 

The days rolled on, and by that point Kuroo would have been surprised if he didn’t see Sawamura just outside the coffee shop, already into his set by the time Kuroo slid into his own spot. Despite their rivalry and occasional banter, they both respected the other’s music and tried to play mainly when the other was taking a break and match the keys, so it didn’t sound like a disaster.

Kuroo had just finished a song one day when Sawamura began playing something new, and he glanced over with curiosity as he took a sip of water. It was one he’d never heard before, but that wasn’t too strange. Kuroo had always wanted to play more of his own original songs but covers earned him more money. He noticed early on that Sawamura didn’t seem as worried about such things and often played his own stuff. He wasn’t sure what the passing crowds thought, but Kuroo had to admit he really liked them.

He set down his water bottle and warmed up his hands to begin his own song. As his ears picked up on what key Sawamura was using, they also picked up on his odd lyrics.

 

_I rolled out of bed_

_Lookin like this_

_At least that’s what I_

_Want you to think_

 

_It’s true that I’m tall_

_But I’m mostly hair_

_Covering my eyes so_

_You can’t see me wink_

 

_Cuz I’m a creepy guy_

_Who thinks my jacket’s cool_

_Feel my rocker vibe_

_Just ignore that bit of drool_

 

_So damn skinny_

_Too lazy to cook_

_Can I get a rich girl_

_To give this poor boy a look_

_Oooh yeah_

 

Kuroo’s mouth dropped open when he realized what was happening, and mid-song Sawamura’s voice broke as he tried not to laugh at his face. Kuroo wasn’t sure if he should be offended or flattered but _charmed_ seemed to match his feeling the best.

A grin spread across his face as he nodded to the other man, gladly accepting the challenge. He played himself an intro as he tried to string together lyrics. It was going to be shoddy, but he couldn’t back down now.

 

_When I was a child_

_My mommy asked me_

_What would you wanna_

_Grow up to do_

 

_I thought really hard_

_In my sweet little brain_

_I’m gonna be like Grandpa_

_That’s what I’m gonna do_

 

_I’m gonna be an old man_

_wear my pants up high_

_Play acoustic guitar_

_And only eat pie_

 

_My mommy said_

_You can’t do that_

_Those acoustic guitars_

_Are in the past_

 

_No one’ll listen_

_To your music that way_

_So instead play electric_

_Like cool Uncle Kikoe_

_Oh my grandpa’s guitar..._

 

As he finished the final verses, he could hear Sawamura laughing across the street. It wasn’t the best song he’d ever written, but it was entirely ad-libbed and had done its job. Glancing up he was surprised to see they had both drawn an even thicker crowd than usual, the energy high as they picked up on their competitive vibes.

Kuroo locked eyes with Sawamura and raised his chin with a taunting smirk.

_Top that, Handsome._

Sawamura didn’t look hesitant in the least as he began a new tune. The crowd looked back and forth between the two, some groups cheering for one over the other, but most of them cheering properly for both. If they were able to whip out a particularly taunting lyric, the crowd let out an _ooooooooh_ and would turn to see the other’s reaction, which was usually laughter. Some people even had their phones out as they recorded the entire battle, and Kuroo was certain it would appear all over social media within the hour.

“So,” Kenma began over dinner later that night at the apartment. “Are you two dating yet?”

“What? I’ve barely spoken to the guy!”

Kenma smirked. “How did you even know who I was talking about? Anyways, according to these posts there were a lot of sparks flying between you today. Some saying that seeing you two giggle at each other was the cutest thing ever.”

“Those are just the fan girls! They think we’re both hot, so it was inevitable they’d make something out of nothing.”

“Excuses. I watched the videos, I’ve never seen you look like that before.”

“Like what?”

“Like me when I get a new game, except the ultimate game.”

“Whatever, you’re just as bad as they are.”

Kenma shrugged. “Maybe.”

 

Kuroo was a little preoccupied, tightening up his strings. A couple notes sounded just slightly flat in his last tune and he needed to adjust them. Luckily it was still early, and the crowds hadn’t flowed through yet, so he doubted it bothered too many people. Mentally he was already running through the next song in his set that day when he heard Sawamura start to play across the street. His head jerked up as he recognized the notes; it was the same song he was about to play.

“Hey! I was gonna play that one. Boo!” Kuroo yelled with his hands cupped around his mouth, but Sawamura didn’t pause as he glanced up and laughed.

“So, play along!”

Another challenge. Would Kuroo dare join Sawamura in his song when the other man clearly had the lead? Even from the distance he could see the mischief glittering in his rival’s eyes, repeating the intro once more to give Kuroo a little more time to think about it.

Sawamura began to sing the first verse, and Kuroo eased right into it, like shoving off in a boat into a flowing river. He added another depth to the notes already playing across the street, blending their individual sounds together. He let Sawamura sing alone at first, since he started the song on his own. Kuroo smiled and nodded along, enjoying the multi-faceted music they were creating together.

As they entered the chorus Kuroo joined in, keeping his voice in harmony with Sawamura’s. His voice wasn’t his best feature, but damn if it didn’t sound just right with Sawamura’s. He glanced up and caught the other man’s eye. He was smiling as he sang, his dimples pricking his cheeks because of course he could look even cuter than usual. He was moving a bit more to the music as well, swaying his body back and forth as he obviously enjoyed the new sound as much as Kuroo did.

When they finished, the applause was loud, and people dropped money in one of their cases only to run across the street to drop some in the other man’s case. Curious, Kuroo began to play another song that was very popular and easy to harmonize. Daichi joined in without hesitation, and they laughed as the crowd cheered. This time Kuroo sang the lead, and he felt goosebumps erupt on his skin when Daichi harmonized to him. It felt right, yet strangely intimate as if they were sharing a gentle kiss craving to give into desire.

As he walked home that evening, he felt more satisfied than he had in a long time playing his music. It wasn’t only because he made a little more money, but it was refreshing playing with someone else. Their energy and sound ended up mixing better than he thought it would, and he didn’t like the idea of showing up the next day and going back to playing solo.

 

The next morning, Kuroo spotted Sawamura up ahead, just lifting his guitar out of his case and settling it in a good spot for people to toss their change in. It was odd for Kuroo to walk on that side of the street as he approached, as if the slight change in position gave him an entirely new perspective. Kuroo gave a little cough and Sawamura gave him a quick glance but did a double take when he noticed who he was. His whole face lit up and he turned to face him, his eyes trailing over the entire length of Kuroo.

“You’re late.”

Kuroo chuckled and stepped closer. “Sorry about that. How’s that worm, Early Bird?”

“Perfect. In fact, I wrote a new song about it.”

“Oh? Mind if a Late Bird joins in?”

“Sure. It’s meant for two to sing it, actually.”

Kuroo’s smile spread a little wider as Sawamura edged over to give him a bit more room.

“Perfect.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't judge me for the quality of their songs, ha ha ha. I like writing short stories and novels, I'm not a lyricist XD  
> I hope you all enjoyed it, I felt like I was missing some of their really competitive nature in some of my other stories (not completely, but definitely not to this extent).


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